Turning life's pages
by Daant23
Summary: Our lives are stories to be told and explored with something new and different around each corner, and moving forwards with our lives can be a difficult thing to do. Standing between redemption and condemnation, Danny Phantom argues his case against both the Justice League, and his own past, attempting to come to terms with the changes that coming of age brings.
1. Chapter 1

"The media certainly didn't miss the opportunity, he had the outward appearance of a pop star, the backstory of a rag-to riches hero of the people, and the charisma of an inspirational speaker, young and powerful, arising from the obscurity of the American heartland to save the world"

"And that's the killer isn't it"

"Charge up any wind-key long enough and it'll snap eventually"

Sheyera Hol wrote a small annotation in the margins of the old file. " It's not as if we haven't seen something like this before"

"Batman…this is your responsibility" Wonder Woman turned her eyes over to the Caped Crusader, not expecting much in terms of a direct response.

Bruce Wayne was inscrutable as usual, mask hiding his gaze. It would seem to her that the excessive formalities would have ended years ago, but Batman maintained a wall of divorce from their more congenial familiarity with each other that hadn't changed since day one of the Justice League, seeming to be more immortal than the rest of them-even Clark had changed with the twenty years of the business, and it was one of those frustrating moments when they needed to read him the most that he was outwardly the most indifferent of them all.

"I'm resigned to your discretion on the matter"

His tone, also to be expected, was definitive. The Justice League visibly slumped in their seats. If Batman didn't make up his mind, none of them felt quite confident in their decision. It didn't matter if he was the weakest strength wise of the seven of them, it was his determination of will that was the driving force behind the entire framework of the League. When Batman was at an impasse, they all were.

"This ain't right" Green Lantern, John Stewart began "you told us again and again that you were 'taking care of this' and now you just leave us out in the cold?"

"Batman…" Clark Kent folded his hands and stared at his colleague, trying to impress his seriousness "this is League business of the highest order, breaking all the rules, and would set up a bad example, and its now that you just decide to leave it to us when we haven't so much as touched this case"

"its not characteristic of you to shirk something that you took personal interest in" J'onn was barely half way through the sentence when Batman spoke again, in a thin voice that ended any comments.

"I was referring to _Robin,_ and then you, come in"

All eyes swiveled to the pneumatic door, usually locked until their conference was over, that slid open to reveal Batman's charge, who nervously stepped across the threshold along with the subject, Danny Phantom, in tow.

There was a great deal of apprehension that filled the room's atmosphere abruptly. The Flash had been silent, uncharacteristically so, but he looked up and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't say that this was a trial" he spoke so slowly that the rest of them had to wonder whether he was about to crack a joke of some sort. None came, only the low tone in his voice suggesting his mood: deep resentment.

"Uh…hi" Robin said sheepishly. "Danny, welcome to the core team meeting of the Justice League"

"Hello" he said in almost a mumble, before Robin showed him to a chair and sat him down there. He was in his human form, eyes pinned to the floor, movements slow and depressed.

"This isn't part of procedure" Green Lantern protested. "we are not the inquisition and it was not on the agenda!"

"Everything right now is out of the books, so just watch" Sheyera snapped "besides we have a guest"

"Guest or not, this is not what we do" Green Latern continued to protest

"come on John just drop it, this meeting has gone nowhere anyway, I don't even know why we're here!" Flash's simmering frustration finally broke through the usual etiquette. "let's just let him in and be done with it! You guys are more suspicious than a pack of wolves"

"Can it Flash!" Superman responded "we've been firm almost continuously that we stick to the rules without exception, so this needs proper treatment"

"You and rules" Superwoman muttered, earning her a glare of censure from both Superman and Green lantern. J'onn muttered something in his own language while Sheyera sighed and leaned back in her chair. "here we go again, back to the discussion of rules for, let's see, the one hundredth and seventeenth meeting"

Robin cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen…"

"drop the snobbery just talk!" Flash shouted.

"Actually, I'm going to let Danny do the talking"

The room fell silent and Danny, looking sorely out of place in his plain sweatshirt and jeans against the Justice League's gaudy uniforms and Robin's own business suit, raised his head and for the first time, set eyes on the famed superheroes, suddenly finding a knot in his throat that almost ruined his dim prospects right from the start, but he swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

"Well…I suppose I should start back at Phantom Planet"


	2. Chapter 2

Danny settled back and folded his hands, inhaling through his nose as he closed his eyes and cleared his mind. This story…had been months in the making. Days after days of just sort of mumbling the various portions of it, alone with nothing more than a too-bright light bulb to keep him company. Sometimes he had written his ideas down, other times the emotions had welled up into self-pitying tears, and other times it was seething anger that left him fuming for hours.

He had plotted out his introduction countless times, no need to hesitate now

"What...happened to the man who got everything he wanted?"

Eyebrows went up just slightly. Danny nodded his head in confirmation of his vague question.

"That's what Willy Wonka asked to Charlie before he told him he lived happily ever after. It's a simple line, great way to end a movie, but completely blind to real life. To the man who got everything that he ever wanted, I think it would be more appropriate for the ending line to be 'he tried to figure out what to do with everything he ever wanted.' A lot of what we want is subliminal and doesn't emerge till we are tempted with it-the craving desires of the mind that bloom in the light of alluring promise."

"Then it becomes a matter of character. What do you do when you find your wants fulfilled, a dream answered, do you gloat? Do you want even more? Do you search for something unobtainable afterwards? I don't think that the human mind really knows limits till it convinces itself that there they exist."

"I try sometimes to remember life before I got…these superpowers, if you can call them that, and I wish, often, that things had continued that way. Only now can I say that I wish that life hadn't changed, and that the future was along a path that most American middle class kids follow, I wish I could have enjoyed nothing more than the simple things, and dealt with simple problems. I wish that I had vanished into the mingling masses of people that grow, age, and become mellow with age and go on to raise a family and continue this chain of quiet living. But of course, that's just wistful thinking. That's another funny thing about the mind; our reality is what we believe it too be. It's taken me a long time to realize what my reality actually is, rather than what I wanted it to be, which is called delusion."

"Of course, what can you really do when the lightning strikes, the murder is committed with the bang of a gunshot, the meteor falls, or you wake up after reincarnation? It happens in an instant, no decisions can determine your destiny at the moment of destiny itself."

"The Justice league was noticeably impressed by Phantom's references, except for Batman, who merely grimaced. Danny shuddered, his words more shaky now that his pre-thought out introduction was over."

"It was painful, I think, and it was a massive dosage all at once. I suppose that villains and heroes can be divided between the time it took for their transformations to occur. The longer it takes, the more embittered the person and the more likely a villain. The quicker it occurs, the more likely a hero. For me it lasted a few seconds, but it felt longer…just a sheering sensation, every nerve firing away even as they were destroyed, and then the cold, cold existence that has followed ever since. My parent's portal has done the action once, never again."

"The notion of hero status hit home a year later. The Disasteroid incident came like a great wind and launched my fate into uncertain free-fall, catapulting over all the doubts and limitations of a bewildered fourteen year old just the year before."

"Phantom?" Wonder Woman interceded. Danny raised his head, eyes coming back into focus. Dark Hair and blue eyes…somehow reminded him of someone else that was long gone.

"Yes?"

He managed to choke out the response. His heart beat was usually slow, a jerky sort of thump that was almost an afterthought that he could rarely ever detect, but he could feel it now, like a steady drum rotating within his rib cage. His voice was wavering under his nervousness, a sweat forming on his hairline and hands trembling slightly.

"You can calm down, we aren't hostile"

"I have a lot of sensitive history behind this…a lot of introspection to deal with. A lot of regret. A lot of bad memory."

"It was a Tuesday when I got back to school, after a long talk with my parents. They knew for the first time, and there reaction was mixed. There was a bit of betrayal at being mistrusted for eleven months, a bit of amazement and disbelief, a degree of excitement and of course, alienation. There was no one discussion that settled the matter, the questions they posed continued for days."

"My imagination had been wild in envisioning their reaction. As scientists, I imagined them on a mission of my destruction by dissection and scientific study. As ghost hunters, I imagined them to be at first fearful, then angry and finally resigned to abandonment. As parents, I knew that they gave me their compassion. All of these things floated through my head over that eleven month inauguration period of Danny Phantom, but in my heart, in my soul, there was something I wanted badly, very very badly, and that was acceptance, and their increased love for their unique child."

"That was hope, that was false dreams, because nothing turns out the way you predict it too when it comes to other people's reactions to a shocking revelation. What I saw was estrangement, and a rifting in the family between myself and them. The anger built up quickly after that, slowly smoldering in my ego which was swelling uncontrollably as the television media and support of a fascinated world poured in. Anger at them, anger at my sister for being privy to their feelings towards me while I was left with a façade of encouragement that they gave, anger at them not partaking in the glory that I was bathing in. It was the beginning of my decent into abyss, gone was Daniel Fenton, slowly replaced by Danny Phantom, not in a bipolar sort of way, but just a slow diffusion that is the agent of change in all people-unless you get brain damage, nobody just wakes up a different person. It only takes time, pressure, and sustained ignorance of such change before you go from one phase of your life to the next, usually without noticing it."

"I need a drink…"

It appeared that he was about to burst into tears and a scream at the same time. Noticeably, silver strands of hair were appearing on Phantom's head and the room's temperature had depressed as though the air conditioning were blowing full blast. Something dark had crossed his mind, and a twitch in his eye betrayed some sort of inner turmoil.

Phantom got up and, as composed as he could, walked out of the room, Robin following.

"I've never seen anyone give quite so thought out a testimony" Superman remarked. "How long was he incarcerated?"

"almost fifteen months now, mostly in alone" John Stewart said coolly "looks like it gave the man a lot of time to think. But I don't trust how honest he's being. Anyone can make a good speech"

"Let's give him the benefit of the doubt" Shayera said, sympathetic.

"Not at all, not after he attacked us in the rear like that, he's a sly guy in my opinion" Flash murmured.

"he's being genuine, even if he is hard to read" J'onn said definitively. "I would move to put him on probation and then an induction program"

The Justice League widened their eyes and looked over. Rarely did J'onn come to so quick a conclusion. And then, to their further astonishment, Batman nodded. He didn't say a word, just nodded. Flash threw up his hands. "I give up. I already told you guys that this meeting is pointless. If Bats and the Martin vote before we do what's the freaking point!?"

"Hush Wally, I want to see this play out, I want to see it before I believe it" Superman raised a hand. "besides his case is unique"

"I think he's got a story that we all don't want to hear because it reminds us of ourselves all too much"

Nobody said anything to Wonder Woman "Easy to just judge and not be judged" she said with a wry smile.

"We'll see" John Stewart sat back in his seat, folding his arms. "We'll see"

* * *

_AN: Thank you to CrowsMelody_

_chicaalterego For reviewing! _


	3. Chapter 3

_It was overcast and bitterly cold as he approached the old house, the weathered brick home that he dreaded as though it were the gateway to hell itself. Everything about it terrified him, and yet where else was he to go? He was out of places to run, he just needed a place to recuperate before making a last stand in the morning. _

_Time had turned a cheerfully charming residence into a war-weary stockade, battered by weather and the forces of the past few years into but a shadow of its former self. Heavy shutters on the lower floor windows and heavy curtains in the upper floor windows gave the house a hostile character, while unchecked ivy had overgrown the long since deactivated FENTON WORKS sign and obscured it behind winter barren vines that made the structure look as ancient as a medieval castle. Even the Spec Ops Center, once gleaming and modern, was rusting and tarnished from years of neglect. _

_This wasn't his home, it was a tomb. It was where his transformation into Danny Phantom had taken place, and was where the old Danny Fenton had died. Now perhaps, Danny Phantom would perish here too. _

_A flutter in one of the upper floor windows attracted his attention. Somebody had to be home. He ascended the worn steps up to the front door, and knocked on the paint peeling door. _

_Nothing was heard at first, but then a shuffling and banging on the interior that grew louder still, with a clatter, the door opened up and Danny narrowly dodged a massive plasma blast that torn apart the cracked asphalt of the street behind him. _

_Maddie fired a few shots to no avail, he had vanished. Breathing hard, she slowly backed up, gun smoking in her hands, tense eyes lined up down the iron sights. She listened closely, but only the wind faintly whistled through the door. Then, without waiting a second longer, she turned heel and ran through the house to the basement, slamming the heavy radiation door behind her as she bounded down the steps. At the bottom was a heavy gate that she had installed, sliding close with a dull thud as she slammed her palm into the activation button. _

_The lights flickered on as she stared about her warily. Across the old basement laboratory was the garage door. It was a scarce fifteen feet away, an hop and a skip to freedom. Armaments lined the walls just adjacent to it…should she run or stay?_

_The whirring of the ghost portal door gears flushed adrenaline into her veins, her heart throbbing ever faster in addition to her already scared disposition. Hadn't she deleted his ectoplasmic signature from the unlocking mechanism? Somehow he was coming in through the Ghost Zone itself like some sort of monster from the depths. It's disturbing to realize how quickly fear arises, turning a sane person into a desperate animal, seeking escape. She scarcely had seconds before she dashed to the munitions, grabbed the Fenton bazooka, whirled around and fired at the ghost portal. _

_Danny fell to one knee as the feeling of burning ectoplasm pressed through his hand and a thick wall of emerald energy spread into a wide half sphere about him. He squeezed his eyes shut as he braced himself, and winced as the heavy shot slammed into the barrier and reverberated, ectoplasmic energy rippling through the pulsing jade force field like the ripples of water after a rock has dropped into it. _

"_Mom…" _

"_Shut up!" Maddie shouted as she fired once, twice, three times. Each successive blast slammed into the force field and rebounded into increasing waves of green against green, the energy not dispersing but rather increasing the intensity of the force field till it audibly hummed and glowed so bright as too force Maddie to squint her eyes. _

_The bazooka clicked as she depleted its battery. _

"_Mom…this is a positive feedback shield, it will discharge if you continue to load it…explosively" _

"_Yeah I know, doesn't matter, it was worth a try. You know that they know you're here, I already activated the silent alarm." _

"_I know" _

"_Then why are you here?" _

"_I need shelter" _

"_Danny…" _

_She watched as he dropped his shield and stood, silhouetted against the glow of the ghost portal. Her heart was torn, broken between fear and a belated feeling of helplessness, of empathy for her son standing there, looking glum. _

_They stared at each other for a few seconds. _

"_I'm sorry" he spoke quietly. _

"_Too late for that Danny, you're a fugitive" _

"_I didn't mean I'm sorry about what I've done, I'm sorry to you" _

"_it means nothing" Maddie said, fighting back tears that were welling up without her bidding. "You had your chances, you knew better, but you just went off thinking that you were master of…" she faltered, her voice having risen to a near shriek. "I…I don't have anything to say. What do you want?" _

_He wanted to say something, but suddenly felt sick, seeing his Mom so alienated with him, so fearful and emotionally compromised. _

"_Things shouldn't be this way, this is ridiculous" _

_She said nothing in response for a moment but then spoke quietly. "Finally you understand what I've been feeling since you were fifteen. It's taken five years and then some for you to see some sense." _

"_I should have listened to you" _

"_Too late for that" she gave a forced laugh "This is insanity what our family has become. Danny, if you are going to stay, let me leave…" she toned down her harsh voice, turning to a plea "please…" _

_More silence. _

"_I would like to be alone" Danny said_

"_I'm not coming back" Maddie shot back _

"_Ever?" _

"_Ever. Dad and Jazz are out in Boston with an apartment already. My bags are upstairs" _

"_Alright, I can wait" _

_Maddie set down the Bazooka and slowly went back upstairs. A minute or two later she came back down, hauling a simple duffle bag and a backpack with her, never once taking her eyes off Danny, who watched her with a pained expression on his face as though he were watching a funeral procession marching past. _

_He licked his lips as he prepared to say goodbye, but didn't quite have the heart to say it, he felt too sick. Maddie didn't even go that far, merely turning away to hide the tears as she opened the door and left, closing it with a hard slam. _

_And then he was alone, in the lab where Danny Phantom had been born, five years ago. Perhaps he would die here. _

_For the first time in a long time, he collapsed to his knees and wept. _

Danny slammed his fist down on the countertop with a sharp hiss, squeezing his eyes shut hard and clenching his teeth. The memory was so vivid and painful. He thought he had his emotions under control, but the horror and distress of the moment still flooded back as powerful as ever before. Months of meditation had failed to soften the pain even now.

Robin silently crept into the door of his small cabin, looking around for any damage. Danny had walked calmly enough out of the conference room before he had broken into a run, leaving Robin in his dust and in worry. Heavily armed security guards followed, watching warily as Robin caught up, dashing through the corridors of the Watchtower, knowing exactly where Danny would go.

"Damnit" Danny swore, voice strained.

"You aren't making a very good case for yourself" Robin said sternly

"I know" Danny drew himself back up and stared out the window, down towards earth, rotating slowly distantly below them, running a hand through his hair, which had turned almost completely white. "Its just…hard"

"Bad memory?"

"Yeah"

"We got to get back…"

"I know, just…just give me a minute" Danny straightened his back and took a deep breath. Robin scowled as he pressed his point.

"You can't do this again, their patience is wearing thin with you as it is. One more...uh…lapse of your composure and they might just leave you incarcerated"

"Maybe I would be better off"

"And then what, let yourself rot away?"

"Sure"

"No, come on Fenton!" Robin, growing frustrated, walked over and turned Phantom about, gripping his shoulder tightly as he looked him in the eye. Phantom glared, eyes turning a vibrant green as a flash of anger stormed across his face. Robin, not flinching, merely glared back, reminding himself that if there was anyone that Phantom trusted, it was him.

"Danny Fenton died"

"No, Danny Fenton is standing right here before me. You are capable of getting yourself together, and making this happen, don't just give up" Robin was yelling now, at point blank range. Phantom stared back, his tenseness diffusing slowly. White hair faded back to black and his eyes slowly dwindled back to their natural dark blue color.

They stared, and then with a sigh, Phantom hung his head and nodded slowly.

"Alright…I'm ready"

* * *

_Just to clarify, the WatchTower is__ an earth-orbiting space station that serves as __the Justice League headquarters, built clandestinely with funds from Wayne Enterprises's aerospace R & D division. _

_Thank you to krikanalo _

_Troper101_

chicaalterego

Inviso-Al

_for reviewing! _


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